Criticism of Keller-Sutter’s savings plans: the battle for billions has only just begun

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A big battle is looming: in December, under the contemplative Christmas tree, Parliament will heatedly debate how much money can be spent in the coming year.

Finance Minister Karin Keller-Sutter (60, FDP) warned again on Wednesday: there will be a deficit of several billion francs in the coming years for a balanced budget. The reason for this is the rising costs for the AHV and premium discounts. To this end, Parliament wants to increase spending on the military. And costs in the asylum sector are “expected to continue to rise”.

So the federal government needs more money. Keller-Sutter and the Federal Council therefore make several suggestions:

• To rescue: The Federal Council wants to investigate how it can reduce the costs of asylum and protection status S, so that refugees from Ukraine can easily obtain a right of residence. Deposits in various funds, such as those for railway infrastructure (BIF) or those for regional development, should be reduced or eliminated. A one-time payment of 100 million francs less will be made to ETH.
• More turnover: Keller-Sutter wants to increase tobacco taxes.
• Bookkeeping: The costs for protection status S must be recorded as an extraordinary expense. This means that you are not subject to the debt brakes. In addition, they want to cut unemployment insurance more this year than planned – but the total amount will remain the same over 5 years. The proposal for additional family childcare will come into effect later.

The proposals have led to criticism from left and right. SP financial politician Sarah Wyss (35) says: “Investments in financing childcare are important, there is no point in making cuts here and this is also not in line with the will of the National Council.” The federal government wants to leave the financing of the daycare model to the cantons. That is ultimately their job. But there are even more criticisms: “Not supporting funds like the BIF or drawing on the reserves of ETH is not sustainable,” said the chairman of the Finance Commission of the National Council.

SVP financial politician Lars Guggisberg (46) is at least partially satisfied. However, he criticizes the increase in tobacco tax and the extraordinary justification of expenditure for protection status S. “That may have worked in the first year, but now the problems are known and the costs are no longer extraordinary. Otherwise the debt brake will be violated.” The problem: if the S protection status is properly established, a billion will have to be compensated – Guggisberg suggests development aid for this.

A long argument

Left and right already had a fight under the Christmas tree last year. Only because less money was put into the well-stocked railway infrastructure fund, a suitable solution was found, which was reluctantly accepted.

The budget advice for the coming year will probably be even more difficult. Because the fronts are paved and the amounts that need to be saved are increasing. The SVP wants to protect the army and agriculture, where the SP wants to save money. There are hardly any compromises in sight.

And Keller-Sutter also announces that the measures will not be enough to balance the federal budget in the medium term. There will be a fundamental review of all federal tasks and subsidies at the end of March.

Tax increases are no longer taboo. The federal government wrote in November: “To finance the AHV and the army, measures on the revenue side will also have to be examined.” The discussion about money has only just begun. Solving this problem will likely require more than just contemplative Christmas music.

Source:Blick